Naked And Famous NZ Awards

After reaching No. 1 in New Zealand with its “Passive Me Aggressive You” album, which also charted in the UK, Ireland and Australia, Auckland alt-rock act The Naked and Famous picked up a record seven nominations for the 46th New Zealand Music Awards.

Dragon, who moved to Australia in the mid-’70s, will receive the Legacy award for its impact on NZ music. Among the 40 members that passed through its ranks was guitarist Tommy Emmanuel. However, the act had only two Top 10 singles and two Top 20 albums in its home market.

In comparison, it had six Top 20 albums and nine Top 20 singles in Australia.

This year the metal community registered a protest with an online petition and Facebook page. The demand for a metal category was started by Sarah Sampson, who runs Black Frog event and management, which books metal acts.

There are categories for hip-hop, roots, alternative, electronic and Christian music.

Awards director Chris Caddick insisted that metal is represented in the rock section.